This article was first published as “Marianne’s Mining Minute” in the APRA Upstate New York chapter’s newsletter, 2011.
A lot of clients and conference attendees say this to me: “We don’t have a lot of data. How can we do donor modeling?”
My answer is always about giving data. Every organization I’ve ever worked with has to pass an audit, and so their giving data is clean. There are a lot of experiments that help point out those who are raising their hands as prospective donors.
First, who’s giving the higher than average first gift? When you measure the first gift amounts from different donors, what is the gift amount that is among the top quarter? These donors are engaging loudly right away.
Second, whose giving is increasing year by year? I teach a few methods for this, but find in your database anyone whose giving is twice the total of their giving for the past 3 years. What do you see? This is escalating gifts, and it means that either a personal ask worked or that the donor is sending a signal.
Third, find everyone, anyone, who gives by stock. Stock giving has always tested as an indicator to a future or current major gift donor.
Last, find donors who are giving at your leadership (or recognition) level, and then ferret out those who are giving honorariums or memorials to others through your organization. If you are the organization of choice for charity gifts, then the affection/inclination/affinity is already there.
You can do this.